Controlling mechanism for flying machines



Nov. 17, I925- R. E. MITTON CONTROLLING MECHANISM FOR FLYING MACHINES 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Original Filed Jan. 6, 1923 rbmw..1+r

Nov. 17, 1925- R. E. MITTON CONTROLLING MECHANISM FdR FLYING MACHINES Original Filed Jan. 6, 1923 2'Sheets-Shaet -2 Patented Nov. 17, 1925.

UNITED STATE5 PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT ELVYN MITTON, OF SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH, ASSIGNOR TO THE' MITTON- BRALEY AEROPLANE CONTROL COMPANY, OF SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH, A CORPORA- TION OF UTAH.

CONTROLLING MECHANISM FOR FLYING-'MIACHINES.

Application filed January 6, 1923, Serial No. 611,096. Renewed May 19, 1925.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, ROBERT ELVYN MIT- 'roN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Salt Lake City, in the county of Salt Lake and State of Utah, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Controlling Mechanism for Flying Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in controlling mecha nism for flying machines, which consists of the novel arrangements of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed.

One object of the invention is to provide a control that will automatically maintain the lateral and longitudinal stability of flying machines.

Another object of this invention is to provide a control which will instantly guide the machine in any direction, in a modified manner, but when desirable will make any correction necessary to maintain stability unaidedby the pilot.

Another object of this invention is to provide a control with which it would be difficult to place the flying machine far from its natural flying attitude, I thus doing away with the hazardous stunts. 7

Other objects and advantages will appear in the following specification.

Figure 1 is a side view of an aeroplane, showing the invention in place with the control wires attached thereto.

Fig. 2 is a front view of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a side view of my invention with the control wheel and sleeve in section showing the locking means.

Fig. 4 is a front view of Flg. 3.

Fig. 5 is a view of the invention looking from the pilots seat showing the control wheel, control levers and means for supporting same to the frame.

Fig. 6 is a plan view of the lifting end of the locking levers.

Fig. 7 is a section on 8-8 Fig. 3, showing the grooves in which the locking pins-fit.

Similar letters and numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

A denotes the frame, B the plane, G the right aileron, D the left aileron, F the rudder, E the elevators, G the braces to which the invention is secured-to the frame A, H the pilots seat, R the right, L the left, 1 the control wheel having .a sleeve 2 through resting onthe heads of the pins 3 and 4.

Lifting wedges 9 and 10 has a slot 11 in which fits the locking pins. Attached tothe lifting wedges 9 and 10 are rods 11 and 12 having handles 13 thereon.

The locking pin 3 when locked in the slot 15 of theshaft 16 that is placed within the sleeve 2 allows the pilot to operate the control wheel to the right or left. The locking pin 4 when locked in the groove 17 in the shaft 16' allows the pilot to move the con trol wheel backward or forward.

eSecured to the bottom of the sleeve 2 are hangers 18 and journaled therein is the shaft 19 of the swivel bearing 20. The swivel bearing 20 supports a ball 21 in such a manner that it will move freely with the movement of the mechanism. Through the ball 21 passesthe upper end of the control lever 22 which moves up and down within said ball 21. Passing through the control lever 22 is a pivot pin 23 which is journaled in the pivot bearing 24. Extending from each side of the pivot bearing 24 are pivot shafts 25 which rest in bearings 26 secured to the side of the frame A and passing through the side of the frame. To the outer ends of the pivot shaft 25 is secured lugs each having two horns 27 and 27 are fastened the wires that operate the elevators E. On the lower end of the con? trol lever 22 are attached the wires that operate the ailerons.

The invention is secured to the frame by the bearings 34 and 34 secured to the braces G. The sleeve 2 slides within the bearing 34 whilethe shaft 16 slides through the bearing 34?. The crank 35 is secured to the outer end of the shaft 16 the end thereof having a socket therein for securing the ball 35'. A removable head 35" forms part of said socket. I

The ball 35 has a projection thereon,

said projection having a hole therein in which operates the upper end of the pendulum 36. Through the pendulum shaft 36 passes a pin- 37 having its ends journaled in.

the swivel bearing 38 to support the -pen-' dulum. The swivel bearing 38 having shafts 38 extending from its sides the ends to which i of which are journaled in bearings 39 cured to the side of the frame A.

Fastened to the horns 27 are the Wires 43th'at raise the'elevators E. The wires 4% fastened to the horn 27 lower the elevators.

lhe wires 53 and 53 fastened to the bottom end of the control lever 22 and running through pulleys and 70 to the bottom king post of the ailerons and the balance wire 54 fastened to the top king post of the right aileron and running through pulleys to the top king post of the left aileron operate the ailerons when the control lever 22 is operated to the right or left.

Having thus described the parts of -my invention, I will now illustrate the opera tionof same.

Banking, turning, ascending or descending is accomplished in the following manner; turning the control wheel 1 to the right raises'pendulum 36 slightly to the left by means of the crank 35 on the shaf 16 and moves control lever 22 operated by the hangers 18 attached to the sleeve 2 to the right thereby operating the control wire 53 to raise the right aileron C and depress the left aileron D,-thus causing the aeroplane to bankor lean to the right.

Turning-the control wheel 1 to the left raises pendulum slightly to the right by means of the crank 34 on the shaft. .16 and moves the control lever 22 operated by the hangers 18 secured to the sleeve 2 to the left thereby operating control wire 53 audbel to raise the left aileron and depress the right aileron, thus causing the aeroplane to bank or lean to the left.

Pushing control wheel 1 ahead raises pendulum slightly to the rear by means of the crank 34 on the shaft 16 moves control lever 22, turns pivot shaft 25 on which control lever 22 is mounted on a lateral axis, there by operating horns 27 attached to the ends of said pivot shaftin such a. way as to draw on the wire 41-4- to depress the elevators which raises the tail and causing the aeroplane to descend.

Pulling control wheel backward raises pendulumslightly to the front by means of the crank throw 34-, moves control lever operated by connections attached to the sleeve 2 andturns pivot shaft 25 on which control lever is mounted on. a lateral axis, thereby operating horns 27' attached to the end of said pivot shaft in such a way as to'draw on wires 43 to raise the elevato'rs'which depresses the 'tail and causes the aeroplane to ascend.

hen the control wheel is pushed forward and turned to the right simultaneously it accomplishes the result of the movement to the right and the inoven'ient forward, re spe'etively, at the same time. That is it throws pendulum to the left back corner.

tips control lever by means of the fittlCll- 'spiral to the right.

When the control wheel is pushed forward and turned'to the left simultaneously it throws the pendulum to the right back corner, tips control lever by means of the attachment to the sleeve 2 rocks lower end of control lever to the left and rocks elevator horns at the end of the pivot shaft 25 forward therebydepressing the elevators, depressing the right aileron and raising the left aileron, thus'causing the aeroplane to bank to the left nose down and descend in a spiral to the left.

W hen the control wheel is pulled back ward and turned were right simultaneously it throws pendulum to 'thefleft front corner, tips control lever by means of attachment to the sleeve 2, rocks lower end of control lever to the right a-n d ro'c ks elevator horns at the end of the pivot shaft 25 backward thereby raising elevators depressing left aileron and raising right aileron, thus causing the aeroplane to bank to the right nose up and climb in a spiralto the right.

When the control wheel is pulled backward and turned to the left simultaneously it throws the pendulum to the right front corner, tips control lever by means of attachment to the sleeve 21'OOkS lower end of the control lever to the left and rocks elevator horns on the endof the pivotshaft 25 backward, thereby raising elevators depressing right aileronraising left aileron thus causing the aeroplane tobank to the left nose up and climb in a spiral tothe left.

It will be understood that the rudder operated by the feet by means of the rudder bar 61 is used in conjunction with any ofthe above described movements, which include a turning movement about a vertical axis.

Control; the automatic operation of" par-ts to mad/2 min ship a Zc vel position.

After a study of the drawings of'this invention it will be readily seen that since it' is possible to operate the pendulum as well as the controlling surfaces whenever a' movement is made by the hands with the control wheel, the pendulum can react these'm'ovements as far-as the correction ofthe disturbance of the balance of the aeroplane is concerned. Thus if an upward current or air should unexpectedly raise'the right wing out of level position it will be seen. that the pendulum actuated by the force of gravity will not move with the ship but will remain straight downward. The ship tipping to the left would then automatically operate its wheel to the right, since it is obvious that the pendulum would then be in a position to the left, and in so doing would operate its ailerons to return the machine to level position, when all controls would be neutralized. It is stated above that the machine turns its own control wheel to the left under the aforesaid circumstances, this it does notliterally do, but, it accomplishes practically the same thing because the ship turns about the longitudinal axis of the machine leaving the wheel stationary, thereby operating the control more effectively and exactly than if the vheel itself was turned to accomplish the same results. The operation of the ailerons by means .ofthe wheel control is fully explained in the paragraphs on opera tion.

hen the ship tips to the right or opposite to the above all movements and corrections for same are exactly opposite or vice versa to the above.

Having disposed of the lateral oscillations of the aeroplane in flight in this manner, I will now take the longitudinal disturbances.

Thus if an upward current of air should strike the tail of the machine it would throw its nose down or in a position to descend, which it would immediately do. In this case it will be seen that while the ship was tipping forward, it would leave the pendulum in exactly the same position as it would be in if the control wheel was pulled back when the machine was level,

in other words it would be hanging forward, the wheel would be automatically thrown back, thus giving the proper correction, since this movement, as explained in the paragraphs on operation raises the elevators thereby depressing the tail to a level position, then all parts are neutralized because the pendulum is then in dead center.

If the ship should strike a current of air that would tip it backward or nose up the operation would be opposite from the above in every detail.

The single, lateral, and longitudinal movements of the ship, taken separately have been described. I will give an explanation of the more complicated, combined lateral and longitudinal movements and corrections.

If an upward current of air should simultaneously raise the right wing and tail out. of a level position, the ship tipping to the left and forward, would then automatically operate its control wheel to the right and backward, since it is obvious that the pen dulum would then be in a position to the left and forward, and in so doing would operate its ailerons and elevators to return the machine to a level position by means of the attachment to the sleeve 2 which. tips the lower end of the control lever forward and to the right and rocks elevator horns on the ends of the pivot shaft 25 backward, thereby, raising the elevators depressing the tail, depressing left aileron and raising right aileron and causing the tail to be depressed, the right wing to be depressed and the left wing to be raised, thereby returning the machine to a level position, when all parts are automatically neutralized because the pendulum would then be in dead center.

If an upper current of air should simultaueouslyraise the left wing and tail out of a level position, the control workin through the principles explained above, would automatically turn the wheel to the left and backward thus depressing the right aileron and raising the left aileron and raisingthe elevators causing the machine to return to a level position.

If a current of air should simultaneously raise the right wing and depress the tail out of a level position the control would automatically turn the control wheel to the right and forward, thus depressing the-left aileron and raising the right aileron and depressing the elevators causing the machine to return to level.

If a current of air should simultaneously raise the left wing and depress the tail out of level position the control would automatlcally turn the control wheel to the left and forward thus depressing the right aileron and raising the left aileron and de pressing the elevators, and causing the machine to return to a level position.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is; r

1. A controlling mechanism for flying ma chines of the character described comprising a control wheel and a pendulum for con trolling said mechanism, said control wheel having a sleeve projecting therefrom, locking pins passing through said sleeve, spring means for holding said locking pins within said sleeve, means for securing said springs to said sleeve and locking pins, a shaft within said sleeve, lifting wedges having notches therein for holding said locking pins in an unlocked position, said lifting wedges having handles thereto, said handles resting in grooves in said sleeve, means for holding said handles in said grooves, said handles projecting through said control wheel in front of the pilot, said sleeve having hangers projecting therefrom for supporting a swivel bearing, a ball secured in said swivel bearing having a hole therein through which operates the upper end of the control lever, the control lever supported by a universal bearing, said universal bearing having shafts projecting therefrom, the ends of said shafts having horns secured thereto, said horns for receiving the wires running to the elevators, means on the lower end of said control lever for attaching the control Wires to the ailerons, means for securing said mechanism to the aeroplane.

:2. A controlling mechanism for flying machines having ailerons and elevators, comprising. a controlwheel and a pendulum for operating said mechanism, said control Wheel hav-inga sleeve projecting therefrom, a shaft mounted for axle movement and also for rotation and havinga crank thereon, said shaft operating in said sleeve, locking pins supported by said sleeve, said locking pins passing through said sleeve and into notches Within said shaft, springs for holding said locking pins Within said notches, means for securingsaid springs to said sleeve and lock ing pins, one of said locking pins for holding said sleeve to said shaft in such a manner that the pendulum will automatically operate the mechanism to the right or left, the other locking pin ior locking said sleeve to the shaft in --such a. manner that the pendulum will automatically operate said mechanisnrbackward or forward unaided by the :pilot, lifting Wedges for holding said locking pins in the unlocked, position, said lifting Wedges mountedwon, said sleeve, the handles of said lifting-Wedges operating in grooves in said sleeve and projecting through saideontrol Wheel infront-of the pilot, said sleeve having hangersprojecting therefrom for supporting a swivel'joint a control lever operated byrsaid swivel joint,

means for supporting said control lever and means for securingsaid mechanism to the aeroplane.

In WllZIlGSS-WllElQOi Lafiix my-slgnature.

ROBERT ELVYN MITTON. 

